The Labor enquirer., 1887-08-20

a report of the meeting we take
the following from daily paper
of Topeka:
The concourse of people was es-
timated at from 5000 to 5000. A
more quiet and orderly assent
blage never convened in this city.
If any star ornamented individ-
uals were present-the writer did
not observe any such-there was
not the slightest need of their at
tendance.
The orator of the day, Mr.. G. c.
Clemens, being late in arriving on
the ground, Mr.. R. R. Gaskill, Sec
retary of the Topeka branch of
the Anti-Poverty society, enter
tined the assemblage for fifteen
minutes in sketching the rise and
in unfolding the purposes of that
society, which he declared was
rapidly increasing its membership
in this city
Mr.. Clemens whose appearance
on the stand was greeted with
hearty applause, in the. outset of
his speech referred to the inham-
matory article concerning the
meeting in Sunday mornings Com- |
mo17oeaM eloquently repelling the
idea that it was, as that paper had
insultingly and maliciously de-
clared, meeting of angry an
archists." The purpose of the
meeting, he said, was an appeal
for the protection of law. The
Commonwealth said, in the arrest
of innocent men no harm was
: done. Suppose the so-called
tramps who have been illegally
: thrown in the city prison had
. been wealthy bankers. Would
! that paper still say no harm had
: been done? The alleged tramps
| were human beings, and should
: only be deprived of their liberty
through the proper forms of law.
! The conduct of the police force,
and of Justice Reed, of late had
l been abominable.
The police were omnipotent in
Z power. They could enter at pleas
! ure any private house in Topeka
at midnight, tear the husband from
the wife, convey him to the city
prison and lock him up in a cell
} until the next morning. I If his
hearers were not thus treated, it
was because the police did not
care to assert their authority.
! Men as good citizens as those be-
! fore him had been thus treated.
One of the most telling things
: in the address, was the
: happy turning of tables by the
eloquent speaker on the State
:, 1owUal That paper in its issue
! Yof Saturday evening having de-
clared that the allegations set
; forth in the yellow circular, of acts
7 of brutality on the part of the po-
; lice force, were gross misrepresen-
: tations, Mr.. Clemens proceeded to
show every charge set forth in
: said circular was fully justified by
' the police reports published day
by day in said paper Nothing
l in the remarks of the speaker was
! SO keenly relished by the audience
l as this vindication by quoting the
JomUal vs.. the 1omXal, which
called forth bursts of applause.
1 The speaker dwelt at some
:, length on the fragrant case of
! the man Jones who had been ar
} rested for not burying his horse
! that died on the streets, and who
on refusing to pay his fine or be
searched, was thrown down and
5 badly choked by one policeman,
while another rihed his pockets.
Many other abuses were referred
| to by the speaker in his lengthy
but highly eloquent address, which
evidently made deep impression
on the vast assemblage. Through-
out it was an eloquent plea for the
lowly and defenseless; that thev
might receive the same protection